Newtown residents petition for assault weapons ban

CASEY MCNERTHNE, Connecticut Post

By CASEY MCNERTHNEY, HEARST NEWSPAPERS

Updated 8:12 pm, Sunday, December 23, 2012

A sign asking people to sign an assault weapons ban petition is displayed in the window of Sandy Hook Deli & Catering on Sunday, December 23, 2012. Nearby Sandy Hook Elementary School was the scene of violence that killed 20 students and six staff members.

Photo: Joshua Trujillo, Hearst Newspapers

A sign asking people to sign an assault weapons ban petition is...

This sign petitioning for a Newtown assault weapons ban was posted at Demitasse Cafe, which is a short walk from where 20 students and 6 teachers were shot to death at Sandy Hook Elementary School. The picture was taken Dec. 23, 2012.

Photo: Casey McNerthney/Hearst Newspapers

This sign petitioning for a Newtown assault weapons ban was posted...

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 18: A sign hangs near a cemetery where shooting victim Jessica Rekos was to be buried on December 18, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. Funeral services were held in Newtown Tuesday for Jessica Rekos and James Mattioli, both age six, four days after 20 children and six adults were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
Photo: John Moore, Getty Images

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 18: A sign hangs near a cemetery where...

Mourners look at a memorial before the funeral for Josephine Gay at St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012, in Newtown. Gay was one of 26 killed after gunman Adam Lanza opened fire killing 26 individuals, 20 whom were children, at Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday.
Photo: Cody Duty, Cody Duty/Hearst Newspapers

Mourners look at a memorial before the funeral for Josephine Gay at...

Bloomfield, CT - 10/22/12 - A horse-drawn carriage on E. Wintonbury Avenue, carries Ana Grace Marquez-Greene's casket to The First Cathedral in Bloomfield Saturday for the wake and service to follow. BRAD HORRIGAN | bhorrigan@courant.com

Notes at a memorial for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Conn. Friday, Dec. 21, 2012
Photo: Autumn Driscoll

Notes at a memorial for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary...

A child gazes from a school bus as it passes by the St. Rose of Lima Catholic church while mourners gathered for a funeral service for shooting victim Jessica Rekos, 6, on December 18, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. Four days after 20 children and six adults were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School, most students in Newtown returned to school. Children at Sandy Hook Elementary will attend a school in a neighboring town until authorities decide whether or not to reopen their school. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
Photo: John Moore, Getty Images

A child gazes from a school bus as it passes by the St. Rose of...

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 17: Candles are lit among mementos at a memorial for victims of the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School, on December 17, 2012 in Newtown, Connecticut. The first two funerals for victims of the shooting were held today. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) ***BESTPIX***
Photo: Mario Tama, Getty Images

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 17: Candles are lit among mementos at a...

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 16: Mourners comfort one another before U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at an interfaith vigil for the shooting victims from Sandy Hook Elementary School on December 16, 2012 at Newtown High School in Newtown, Connecticut. Twenty-six people were shot dead, including twenty children, after a gunman identified as Adam Lanza opened fire at Sandy Hook Elementary School. Lanza also reportedly had committed suicide at the scene. A 28th person, believed to be Nancy Lanza, found dead in a house in town, was also believed to have been shot by Adam Lanza. (Photo by Olivier Douliery-Pool/Getty Images)
Photo: Pool, Getty Images

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 16: Mourners comfort one another before...

NEWTOWN, CT - DECEMBER 17: A woman comforts a boy as mourners depart Honan Funeral Home after the funeral for six-year-old Jack Pinto on December 17, 2012 in Newtown Connecticut. Pinto was one of the 20 students killed in the Sandy Hook Elementary School mass shooting. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX ***
Photo: Mario Tama, Getty Images

A fire rescue official, second from right, gives a hug to a person after a group of people paused for a moment of silence at a makeshift memorial near the main road that leads into Sandy Hook Elementary School during a memorial at 9:30 a.m., Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, in Newtown, Conn. The chiming of bells reverberated throughout Newtown, commemorating one week since the crackle of gunfire in a schoolhouse killed 20 children and six adults in a massacre that has shaken the community and the nation (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Photo: Julio Cortez, ASSOCIATED PRESS

A fire rescue official, second from right, gives a hug to a person...

A hearse carrying the remains of Mary Joy Sherlach arrives at St. Stephen Church, in Trumbull, Conn., prior to a funeral mass Dec. 21st, 2012. Sherlach was a school pychologist at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Newtown, and died in the mass shooting there last Friday.
Photo: Ned Gerard

A hearse carrying the remains of Mary Joy Sherlach arrives at St....

The ashes of Mary Joy Sherlach are carried from St. Stephen Church, in Trumbull, Conn., following a funeral mass Dec. 21st, 2012. Sherlach was a school pychologist at Sandy Hook Elementary School, in Newtown, and died in the mass shooting there last Friday.
Photo: Ned Gerard

The ashes of Mary Joy Sherlach are carried from St. Stephen Church,...

Volunteers errect an American flag-patterned display in preparation for the vigil at Fairfield Hills Campus in Newtown on Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, one week after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Photo: Jason Rearick

Volunteers errect an American flag-patterned display in preparation...

Volunteers errect an American flag-patterned display in preparation for the vigil at Fairfield Hills Campus in Newtown on Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, one week after the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School.
Photo: Jason Rearick

Volunteers errect an American flag-patterned display in preparation...

Mourners at the conclusion of the Funeral Mass for Sandy Hook Elementary School student Olivia Rose Engel at St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church in Newtown, Friday afternoon, Dec. 21, 2012.
Photo: Bob Luckey

Mourners at the conclusion of the Funeral Mass for Sandy Hook...

A crowd gathers in front of a memorial with 26 cardboard angels to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre on Church Hill Road, Newtown, Conn., Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012.
Photo: Bob Luckey

A crowd gathers in front of a memorial with 26 cardboard angels to...

Bloomfield, CT - 10/22/12 - Pall bearers take Ana Grace Marquez-Greene's casket out of a horse drawn carriage at The First Cathedral in Bloomfield Saturday for the wake and service to follow. BRAD HORRIGAN | bhorrigan@courant.com

A sign of the names of the of the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, outside of Edmond Town Hall, Newtown, Conn., Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012.
Photo: Bob Luckey

A sign of the names of the of the victims of the Sandy Hook...

Police salute as the casket of Josephine Gay is loaded into a hearse after her funeral at St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012, in Newtown. Gay was one of 26 killed after gunman Adam Lanza opened fire killing 26 individuals, 20 whom were children, at Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday.
Photo: Cody Duty, Cody Duty/Hearst Newspapers

Police salute as the casket of Josephine Gay is loaded into a...

A little girl looks into the hearse carrying the casket of Josephine Gay after her funeral at St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012, in Newtown. Gay was one of 26 killed after gunman Adam Lanza opened fire killing 26 individuals, 20 whom were children, at Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday.
Photo: Cody Duty, Cody Duty/Hearst Newspapers

A memorial site is seen Thursday, December 20, 2012 in Newtown, Conn., honoring the individuals who were killed during a shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday. The school was evacuated after Adam Lanza opened fire killing 26 individuals, 20 whom were children.
Photo: Cody Duty, Cody Duty/Hearst Newspapers

A memorial site is seen Thursday, December 20, 2012 in Newtown,...

People, including Joe Saleem, center, observe a moment of silence led by Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy, Lt. Governor Nancy Wyman and First Selectman Patricia Llodra in front of Edmond Town Hall in Newtown. The moment of silence and bell tolling was held across the state on Friday, December 21, 2012, the one week anniversary of the Sandy Hook shootings. Saleem said he lived in Newtown for 54 years but moved to North Carolina. But after the violence that took 28 people, Saleem returned to his hometown. "I've had three sleepless nights," he said.
Photo: Joshua Trujillo, Joshua Trujillo/Hearst Newspaper

People, including Joe Saleem, center, observe a moment of silence...

Greenwich fans wear orange as a sign of dedication to GHS student Nicole Graham and also demonstrate their support for the families in Newtown as Greenwich High School hosts Fairfield Ludlowe in a boys basketball game in Greenwich, Conn., Dec. 21, 2012. Graham was diagnosed with Leukemia in September.
Photo: Keelin Daly

Greenwich fans wear orange as a sign of dedication to GHS student...

Eric Malon and his daughter Alexis, 5, attach branches to "The Peace Tree" on Saturday, December 22, 2012. The memorial tree was set up in front Edmond Town Hall in Newtown.
Photo: Joshua Trujillo, Joshua Trujillo/Hearst Newspaper

Eric Malon and his daughter Alexis, 5, attach branches to "The...

A sign at the Newtown General Store offers candy for the children of Newtown on Saturday, December 22, 2012. Another sign in the business said all hot drinks were paid for by a donor from New York. The outpouring of support and gifts from around the world has been appreciated by thankful residents.
Photo: Joshua Trujillo, Joshua Trujillo/Hearst Newspaper

A sign at the Newtown General Store offers candy for the children...

A mourner kneels in front of a memorial on the road leading to the Sandy Hook Elementary School on Saturday, December 22, 2012. Significant crowds came to Sandy Hook to pay respects to the people killed in last weeks shooting rampage.
Photo: Joshua Trujillo, Joshua Trujillo/Hearst Newspaper

A mourner kneels in front of a memorial on the road leading to the...

Twenty-six Christmas stockings hang on the fence at the Sandy Hook Cemetery across from the entrance to the Sandy Hook School on Saturday, December 22, 2012. A week earlier the school was the scene of a shooting that killed 20 students and six staff members.
Photo: Joshua Trujillo, Joshua Trujillo/Hearst Newspaper

Twenty-six Christmas stockings hang on the fence at the Sandy Hook...

The flag pole on Main Street in Newtown flies at half-mast on Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, one week after the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
Photo: Jason Rearick

The flag pole on Main Street in Newtown flies at half-mast on...

Police salute as the casket of Josephine Gay is loaded into a hearse after her funeral at St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012, in Newtown. Soll was one of 26 killed after gunman Adam Lanza opened fire killing 26 individuals, 20 whom were children, at Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday.
Photo: Cody Duty, Cody Duty/Hearst Newspapers

Police salute as the casket of Josephine Gay is loaded into a...

Mourners look at a memorial before the funeral for Josephine Gay at St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church, Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012, in Newtown. Gay was one of 26 killed after gunman Adam Lanza opened fire killing 26 individuals, 20 whom were children, at Sandy Hook Elementary School last Friday.
Photo: Cody Duty, Cody Duty/Hearst Newspapers

Mourners look at a memorial before the funeral for Josephine Gay at...

A sign on the side of Church Hill Road reads "No Matter What, Trust God," at a memorial to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, in Newtown, Conn., Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012.
Photo: Bob Luckey

A sign on the side of Church Hill Road reads "No Matter What, Trust...

"Faith Hope Love" reads the holiday lights on the front lawn of a house in downtown Sandy Hook which has turned into a shrine to the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, Newtown, Conn., Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012.
Photo: Bob Luckey

"Faith Hope Love" reads the holiday lights on the front lawn of a...

Gene Rosen gestures as he speaks during an interview with the Associated Press, Monday, Dec. 17, 2012 in Newtown, Conn. On the day of the shooting, Rosen took in four girls and two boys that were sitting at the end of his driveway; they had just run from the school, among the first to escape Fridayís deadly shooting. He ran upstairs and grabbed an armful of stuffed animals he kept there. He gave those to the children, along with some fruit juice and sat with them as the two boys described seeing their teacher being shot. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
Photo: Mary Altaffer, Associated Press

Gene Rosen gestures as he speaks during an interview with the...

Firefighters kneel together in front of a makeshift memorial for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, near the school's entrance in Newtown, Conn., Dec. 15, 2012. Connecticut's chief medical examiner said Saturday it appeared that all of the children killed at the elementary school had been shot with a long rifle, as new and tragic details about the massacre of 26 people Friday emerged. (Marcus Yam/The New York Times)
Photo: MARCUS YAM, New York Times

Firefighters kneel together in front of a makeshift memorial for...

RETRANSMISSION TO PROVIDE ALTERNATE (VERTICAL) CROP --
President Obama wiped away a tear during a statement at the White House in which he addressed the school shooting in Newtown, Conn., in Washington, Dec. 14, 2012. A gunman walked into the Connecticut school where his mother was a teacher, then shot and killed her and 26 people, 20 of them students between the ages of 5 and 10, law enforcement officials said. (Luke Sharrett/The New York Times)
Photo: LUKE SHARRETT, New York Times

Ted Kowalczuk, of Milford, Conn., and his friend Rachel Schiavone, of Norwalk, Conn., attend a candlelight vigil held behind Stratford High School on the Town Hall Green in Stratford, Conn. on Saturday December 15, 2012. Kowalczuk and Schiavone were close friends to Stratford High graduate Vicki Soto, who was killed in yesterday's mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown. Soto was a teacher at the school.(AP Photo/The Connecticut Post, Christian Abraham) MANDATORY CREDIT
Photo: Christian Abraham, Associated Press

Ted Kowalczuk, of Milford, Conn., and his friend Rachel Schiavone,...

While their son Jake Hockley stands between them, Nicole Hockley and her husband Ian Hockley touch their heads together at the end of a funeral service for their son Dylan Hockley in Bethel, Conn., Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. Dylan Hockley, 6, was killed when Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., Dec. 14, and opened fire, killing 26 people, including 20 children, before killing himself. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Photo: Seth Wenig, Associated Press

While their son Jake Hockley stands between them, Nicole Hockley...

ADDS NAME OF OFFICIAL - Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy, center, stands with Janet Robinson, left, the Newtown Superintendent of Schools and other officials to observe a moment of silence while bells ring 26 times in Newtown, Conn., Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, in honor of the 26 adults and children who were killed last Friday during the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Photo: Seth Wenig, Associated Press

Officials including Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy observe a moment of silence on the steps of Edmond Town Hall while bells ring 26 times in Newtown, Conn., Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. The chiming of bells reverberated throughout Newtown, commemorating one week since the crackle of gunfire in a schoolhouse killed 20 children and six adults in a massacre that has shaken the community and the nation. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Photo: Seth Wenig, Associated Press

Officials including Connecticut Governor Dan Malloy observe a...

A woman reacts as a hearse begins to pull out outside of St. Rose of Lima Roman Catholic Church after funeral services for Jessica Rekos, Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2012, in Newtown, Conn. Rekos, 6, was killed when Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Dec. 14, and opened fire, killing 26 people, including 20 children, before killing himself. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez)
Photo: Julio Cortez, Associated Press

A woman reacts as a hearse begins to pull out outside of St. Rose...

Frank Kulick, adjusts a display of wooden crosses, and a Jewish Star of David, representing the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, on his front lawn, Monday, Dec. 17, 2012, in Newtown, Conn. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Photo: David Goldman, Associated Press

Frank Kulick, adjusts a display of wooden crosses, and a Jewish...

Firefighters and other volunteers reorganize a memorial for shooting victims near Sandy Hook Elementary School before erecting a shelter over it, Sunday, Dec. 16, 2012 in Newtown, Conn. A gunman walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown Friday and opened fire, killing 26 people, including 20 children. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)
Photo: Jason DeCrow, Associated Press

Firefighters and other volunteers reorganize a memorial for...

While his mother Nicole Hockley, left, looks on, Jake Hockley releases a bunch of balloons at the end of a funeral service for his brother Dylan Hockley in Bethel, Conn., Friday, Dec. 21, 2012. Dylan Hockley, 6, was killed when Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., Dec. 14, and opened fire, killing 26 people, including 20 children, before killing himself. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Photo: Seth Wenig, Associated Press

The casket of teacher Anne Marie Murphy, who was killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown, Conn., is lifted from St. Mary Of The Assumption Church after a funeral service in Katonah, N.Y. Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012. Murphy died when Adam Lanza, walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Dec. 14, and opened fire, killing 26 people, including 20 children, before killing himself. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Photo: Craig Ruttle, Associated Press

The casket of teacher Anne Marie Murphy, who was killed at the...

Frank Kulick, adjusts a display of wooden crosses, and a Jewish Star of David, representing the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, on his front lawn, Monday, Dec. 17, 2012, in Newtown, Conn. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Photo: David Goldman, Associated Press

Frank Kulick, adjusts a display of wooden crosses, and a Jewish...

FILE - In this Dec. 14, 2012 file photo provided by the Newtown Bee, a police officer leads two women and a child from Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., shortly after Adam Lanza opened fire, killing 26 people, including 20 children. While the people of Newtown do their best to cope with loss and preserve the memories of their loved ones, another class of residents is also finding it difficult to move on: the emergency responders who saw firsthand the terrible aftermath of last week's school shooting. (AP Photo/Newtown Bee, Shannon Hicks, File) MANDATORY CREDIT: NEWTOWN BEE, SHANNON HICKS
Photo: Shannon Hicks, Associated Press

FILE - In this Dec. 14, 2012 file photo provided by the Newtown...

A Sandy Hook resident wears a handmade sweatshirt in support of his town while looking at a memorial to the Newtown shooting victims in the Sandy Hook village of Newtown, Conn., Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012. The funerals for the victims of the school shooting are wrapping up after a wrenching week of farewells. Twenty children and six adults were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14. Adam Lanza, the lone gunman, killed his mother before going on the rampage and then committed suicide. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Photo: Seth Wenig, Associated Press

A Sandy Hook resident wears a handmade sweatshirt in support of his...

A child is embraced near a hearse carrying teacher Anne Marie Murphy, who was killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown, after a funeral at St. Mary Of The Assumption Church in Katonah, N.Y. Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012. Newtown was killed when Adam Lanza, walked into Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., Dec. 14, and opened fire, killing 26, including 20 children, before killing himself. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Photo: Craig Ruttle, Associated Press

A child is embraced near a hearse carrying teacher Anne Marie...

Pictures of Newtown shooting victims are imprinted on fake roses at a memorial in the Sandy Hook village of Newtown, Conn., Saturday, Dec. 22, 2012. The funerals for the victims of the school shooting are wrapping up after a wrenching week of farewells. Twenty children and six adults were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School on Dec. 14. Adam Lanza, the lone gunman, killed his mother before going on the rampage and then committed suicide. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Photo: Seth Wenig, Associated Press

The proposed Sandy Hook Assault Weapons Ban would "be modeled in accordance with the anticipated Federal Assault Weapons Ban," according to those who support it.

Multiple businesses near the massive memorial in Sandy Hook have posted green and white signs asking people to support the ban. The signs are done in the same style as the all-caps signs around Newtown that read, "We are Sandy Hook. We choose love."

Signs encourage Newtown residents to support an assault weapons ban "for the safety of our residents and to honor the memories of the 26 victims of the December 14, 2012, atrocities brought forth upon our community." Supporters are petitioning Newtown leaders "to immediately complete and pass an ordinance called the Sandy Hook Assault Weapons Ban."

"To be modeled in accordance with the anticipated Federal Assault Weapons Ban; the 'Sandy Hook Assault Weapons Ban' will be subject to future modification to achieve and maintain a practical, community-supported ordinance that demonstrates the courage and commitment of this community to lead the way, in a State and Federal Constitutionally-compliant manner"

But it's not clear how many people have signed the ban, or an exact time frame.

Among the businesses displaying the petitions were Demitasse Cafe and Sandy Hook Deli and Catering. However when asked how to sign the petition Sunday, staff there were unsure and did not appear to be collecting signatures.

Speaking to Newtown two days after the shooting, President Obama said he would use "whatever power this office holds" to prevent similar tragedies. Sunday night, more than 300,000 had petitioned Obama on the White House website to limit guns through legislation, with some of the petitions specifically addressing the need for an assault weapons ban.

But tens of thousands more also petitioned the president to not restrict the rights of law abiding gun owners, and more than 9,000 asked that petitions on an assault weapons ban be dissolved as unconstitutional under the Second Amendment.

"We hear you," Obama said in a video response. "Now like the majority of Americans, I believe that the Second Amendment guarantees an individual's right to bear arms. We have a strong tradition of gun ownership that has been handed down from generation to generation. And the fact is, most gun owners in America are responsible."

Obama, who praised many gun owners for wanting to prevent tragedies like Newtown, has called on Congress to take up and pass "common sense legislation that has the support of a majority of the American people," he said.

That would include banning assault weapons and high capacity ammunition clips like the kind killer Adam Lanza was carrying in Sandy Hook Elementary School. A Bushmaster XM-15 rifle was recovered at the school along with several hundred rounds of unused ammunition. Police think the 20-year-old who killed himself as police arrived would have continued killing children.

Obama also tasked Vice President Joe Biden with leading the effort to come up with a comprehensive set of proposals to keep children safe. That would include addressing school safety, mental illness, and "a culture that too often glorifies guns and violence."

Biden helped draft the 1994 crime bill that led to the Federal Assault Weapons Ban that year, which expired a decade later. Previous efforts to renew the bill have failed.

Obama said he wants the proposals by January and that he'll do "everything in my power as President to advance these efforts."

An unwavering National Rifle Association said Sunday that not a single new gun regulation would make children safer, that "a media machine" relishes blaming the gun industry for each new attack like the one that occurred at a Connecticut elementary school, and that a White House task force on gun violence may try to undermine the Second Amendment.

"Look, a gun is a tool. The problem is the criminal," said Wayne LaPierre, the CEO of the nation's largest gun-rights lobby, said Sunday on NBC's "Meet the Press."

On Friday, he asked Congress for money to put a police officer in every school and said at a press conference, "the only thing that stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun."

LaPierre said the arming of every single school in America needs to come "before we engage in any lengthy debate over legislation, regulation or anything else," and also before children return to school.

The NRA leader dismissed efforts to revive the assault weapons ban as a "phony piece of legislation" that's built on lies. He made clear it was highly unlikely that the NRA could support any new gun regulations.

"If it's crazy to call for putting police and armed security in our schools to protect our children, then call me crazy," LaPierre said Sunday on NBC. "I think the American people think it's crazy not to do it. It's the one thing that would keep people safe."